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My Latest Videos

January 29, 2011

BBC journalist Madeleine Morris, with producer Leo Hornak, has filed two versions of her report on the Andhra Pradesh microfinance crisis, one audio and one video (below). I think the audio one is particularly good, being twice as long. Both give a good sense of the complexities of the situation, showing the good and the bad. I am not in either.But I was interviewed on BBC America after it aired the video version. Live TV is a tough format, partly because time is so short. The interviewer here, Matt Frei, helped me by cracking jokes before the cameras went on, depriving me of the chance to get nervous, and by signalling with his body language when I needed to bring my answers to a close. I think one trick to TV interviews is just to stop talking:And here is a 10-minute version of the Dan Rather Reports story on Grameen America's work in Queens. It aired this past week on the U.S. cable channel HDNet. Dan Rather narrates, but I only met the smart young guys (Adam Bolt and Andrew Blackwell) who actually put the story together. They interviewed me just before an event last summer at NYU organized by the Microfinance Club of New York. They too do a fine job conveying the nuances of the story, showing the hope and the hardships. I particularly like the dimness of the scene around 8:00, which subconsciously hints at grey areas in microfinance, perhaps even a dark side:The full 20-minute version can be had from iTunes for $2 (yes, the one about the fish).Addendum: the trailer for the English version of Tom Heinemann's documentary. It contains the positive quote from me that Tom cut from the Norwegian version:

And here, Alexander Roodman performs the Mushroom Dance with some assistance from Benjamin Roodman, who devised the dance:

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CGD blog posts reflect the views of the authors, drawing on prior research and experience in their areas of expertise. CGD is a nonpartisan, independent organization and does not take institutional positions.

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